Train enthusiasts, tourists and officials thronged an iconic 1930s railway station in downtown Singapore on Thursday, hours before it was to be closed, with a sultan from neighbouring Malaysia driving out the last train.

THE head of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has demanded answers from the NSW Premier, Barry O'Farrell, after comments by the head of the premier's new infrastructure body supporting the privatisation of transport services.

In an interview with the Herald, the inaugural chief executive of Infrastructure NSW, Paul Broad, praised Jeff Kennett's Victorian privatisations of the 1990s, but stressed that he was still early in his job and he had no agenda yet for NSW.

JOHOR BAHARU, July 1 (Bernama) -- With the closure of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) will introduce new rail tourism packages to entice tourists to use its services to the island state.

Two major Sydney councils will work together to support an extension to Sydney’s light rail system, easing gridlocked streets and improving public transport in Australia’s only global city.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP and Randwick Mayor Murray Matson have agreed to join forces to support the extension of light rail into the CBD and into Sydney’s eastern suburbs, with the City of Sydney and Randwick City to formalise their cooperation through an official Memorandum of Understanding.

THE arrival on the tracks of the Waratah trains will be welcomed by Sydney's gunzel community. Gunzels are Australian railway enthusiasts. In Britain, the beanie-wearing characters who mill around train stations with cameras and clipboards noting down times and locomotive registration numbers are known as trainspotters.

MOSCOW - As Russia expands its railway construction, China could enjoy greater cooperation potential with Moscow in the sector, especially on high-speed rail projects, says the president of the state-run Russian Railways company.

Vladimir Yakunin told Xinhua that based on China's rich experience in railway construction and the mature mechanism of technology exchange between the two countries, China would have good chances of winning in the public bidding on major Russian railway projects. Those projects include the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway, the first in Russia.

There were 111 sightings for this week. This is 17 sighting less than last week, making a total of 2713 sightings for this year to date. On day 183 last year we had recorded 2488 sightings. This is 225 sightings up on the same time last year.

MOTORISTS and rail commuters coming in through Melbourne's west should expect delays over the next two weeks as the first major works on the $5.3 billion Regional Rail Link project begin.
Crucial environmental approvals are still missing from the rail project, which began in earnest on Saturday.

The project is a new set of railway tracks through Melbourne's west which will separate Metro trains from V/Line services.

WAYNE Richards reckons this week will be better than last week, and not least because he'll spend it pulling large fish out of the tropical waters around the Montebello Islands.

Few would begrudge the Brockman Resources managing director a few days break after a turbulent ownership struggle culminated with his company losing almost a quarter of its value in barely 48 hours last week.

The view from the command deck of the giant social machine known as New South Wales sweeps over Sydney Harbour from the 40th floor of Governor Macquarie Tower. It must have looked formidable to Barry O'Farrell when he took control on March 28: a $59 billion budget, 22 ministers, 300 government entities - from the Ambulance Service to Taronga Zoo - and more than 300,000 public sector workers.

The first thing O'Farrell did was turn away from the grand view and the soaring tower. He chose instead to work in the more modest, historic and comfortable Premier's quarters in Parliament House. As a symbol of greater financial discipline and efficiency he gave himself fewer personal staff. There were plenty of empty desks in the Premier's suite after he moved in.

ITALIAN police have clashed with thousands of demonstrators protesting a high-speed rail line linking Italy to France.

Officials said yesterdat anarchists infiltrated the protest and were responsible for injuring nearly 200 police officers. It was not immediately clear how serious the injuries were or how many protesters were injured. At least five people were arrested.

(Reuters) - Amtrak has sued the trucking company that owned a tractor-trailer rig which slammed into one of its trains in Nevada last week in a fiery crash that killed six people and injured dozens of others.

The passenger rail service, partly owned by the U.S. government, sued the John Davis Trucking Company in U.S. District Court in Nevada on Wednesday, seeking unspecified damages.

The scale of the challenge confronting new Murchison Metals chairman, and former AGL chief executive, Greg Martin has been made clear by today’s presentation on the proposed Oakajee Port and Rail project and Murchison’s Jack Hills iron ore joint venture.

Murchison, a company with a market capitalisation of less than $300 million, is trying to develop projects with combined capital costs of almost $10 billion.

Murchison does have a couple of things going for it. Its partner in both projects is Japanese giant Mitsubishi Development and both the West Australian and federal governments are very supportive of the Oakajee project, which would open up WA’s mid-west iron ore province.

The much vaunted rail link between Perth Airport and the central city could be delivered as an entirely privately financed and operated project, the latest report by the Federal Government's peak infrastructure body reveals.

Infrastructure Australia's annual update of projects of national significance says it has been involved in discussions with the WA Government to "advance plans and develop a robust business case" for a private rail link in the context of a broader examination of the Gateway WA airport roads project.

The report says there may be scope "for the provision of a rail link with private project proponents and the establishment of an appropriate equity vehicle".

VICTORIA is at risk of losing billions of dollars of federal infrastructure funding because the Baillieu government has failed to deliver a single major project proposal to Australia's independent infrastructure umpire.

In a report to state and federal governments, Infrastructure Australia also issues a blunt warning that it is ''very unlikely'' to support state government proposals for new freeways unless they are tolled.

Nearly 250 V/Line passengers are stuck on a train in Melbourne's south-east after it hit a teenager who escaped with leg injuries.

The passengers on the city-bound Traralgon line train have been unable to get off since just before 10am, when the 18-year-old was hit when he crossed the tracks near a pedestrian crossing at Springvale station.

The train was not close enough to the platform for the passengers to be able to get off the train safely, a V/Line spokesman said.

LOGISTICS firm Mackenzie Intermodal has been sold to P&O Trans Australia for a multimillion-dollar sum.

The deal is expected to settle in July with the 29-year-old SA company's 8000 sqm Outer Harbor container facility, close to the Adelaide Ocean Terminal, a key asset in the takeover.

Mackenzie Intermodal, which also has depots in Melbourne, Murray Bridge, Bordertown and Hynam in the State's south east, would "deliver a significant regional network, strong management team and exposure to an excellent customer base to the existing P&O Trans Australia businesses," P&O Trans Australia managing director Paul Digney said.

SHUTTING the Sydenham line to start work on the Regional Rail Link has caused confusion for commuters and residents.
The Sydenham line will be closed until Monday, July 18, for preparatory works and maintenance.

Trains between Albion and Footscray have been replaced by buses. An express bus from Albion and Sunshine stations takes passengers to Flemington racecourse where they can board trains to the city.

The Rail and Maritime Transport Union says it's heartened by the turnout at Saturday's protest rally in Dunedin against plans to axe up to 40 jobs at the city's Hillside Railway Workshops.
At least 1000 people attended the rally, including the city's Mayor, the Chamber of Commerce, Greenpeace and local MPs.

CITY driving in Australia and other developed countries peaked in 2004 and has been declining since.

A paper by Curtin University academics Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy, Peak Car Use: Understanding the Demise of Automobile Dependence, cites soaring oil prices, traffic congestion, a preference for inner-city living, public transport growth, an ageing population, and more crowded cities for pushing people away from cars. ''Peak car use is a major historical discontinuity that was largely unpredicted by most urban professionals and academics,'' write the authors. ''The peak car use phenomenon suggests we may now be witnessing the demise of automobile dependence in cities … the phenomenon of peak car use appears to have set in to the cities of the developed world.''

There were 117 sightings for this week. This is six sighting more than last week, making a total of 2830 sightings for this year to date. On day 190 last year we had recorded 2593 sightings. This is 237 sightings up on the same time last year.

Canberra needs to be part of a new nation-building system which links south-east Australia.
There has been, of late, some exploration of Canberra's transportation needs most of which appears to be focused on a simple, seemingly attractive solution.

The notion that there will be great environmental benefits from increasing density that will justify investment in light rail is simply astounding.

The environmental argument made so far is quite limited and misses the main points.

Rather than adopt a physical deterministic solution of the kind proposed, we need to have a more encompassing review of what the situation is and what a serious strategy for investment in public transport looks like.

QUEENSLAND Rail crews are inspecting damage sustained to its Sunlander train after a horror smash on a level crossing in North Queensland.

More than 200 passengers were onboard the Cairns-bound train when it struck a truck at a level crossing near Abswold Rd and the Bruce Highway, about 100km north of Townsville and 20km south of Ingham just before 11am.

BEIJING: China's newly launched high-speed bullet train faced opprobrium after the service between Beijing and Shangahai was paralysed for nearly 90 minutes following a power breakdown due to thunderstorms.

In a first major malfunction since its launch on June 30, nineteen trains on the Beijing-Shanghai rail link came to a standstill for nearly 90 minutes yesterday, railway authorities said.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Global mining giant BHP Billiton halted port and rail operations at its massive west Australian iron ore deposit Thursday after a "significant incident" which claimed the life of a worker.

BHP said the fatal incident occurred in the early hours of the morning at its Port Hedland export docks on Australia's west coast.

"At this stage we are unable to provide any further detail about the incident, but will do so as soon as possible during the day," the miner said in a statement.

BLACKTOWN has become the central station for people in the west of Sydney who travel regularly by train.
The failure of consecutive governments to build the North West Rail Link or to invest in significant up-grades on the Western and Richmond lines has isolated Blacktown station as a central hub.

Police figures show that up to 4500 people pass through the station every hour.

Many of these people come from areas outside Blacktown such as Windsor, Richmond or Kellyville, because these suburbs lack frequent public transport.

RAIL and road transport groups will lose more than half a billion dollars in fuel rebates from 2014 under the government's carbon tax regime, with only some businesses able to pass on the costs.
The Australian Trucking Association estimates the cost to the heavy vehicle industry at about $510 million, while analysts estimate the bill for the country's two biggest rail businesses, Asciano and QR National, at about $30m, The Australian reports.

ATA managing director Stuart St Clair said the industry would have liked some incentives to help with the transition, given the special exemptions and support given to other sectors.

CLOSURE of the Sydenham line to enable work to start on the Regional Rail Link (RRL) has resulted in a mixed reaction among commuters.
The Sydenham line will be closed until Monday for preparatory works and maintenance.

Trains between Albion and Footscray have been replaced by buses. An express bus from Albion and Sunshine stations takes passengers to Flemington racecourse where they can board trains to the city.

New Mardi Gras (NMG) is making sure the needs of the Mardi Gras parade will be taken into account in NSW Government plans to run light rail on Oxford St. The City of Sydney supports the plan.

Before the election, then Opposition transport spokeswoman Gladys Berejiklian announced plans for a light rail line connecting Circular Quay to the University of Sydney, with the most likely route running up Oxford St to turn at Taylor Square on to Flinders St and then down Anzac Parade.

BEIJING — China called Wednesday for "patience" with a flagship high-speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai as passengers suffered fresh delays on the newly opened line.

The official Xinhua news agency said people should be "tolerant" of problems with the trains after delays caused by power outages on Sunday and Tuesday sparked a slew of criticism online and in the Chinese media.

"It is lack of confidence if we immediately get suspicious of the high-speed rail and hype it up to attract attention whenever a glitch or accident happens," Xinhua said in a commentary.

THE timing of Brisbane's crucial cross river rail link remains uncertain despite the State Government's release of a glossy 96-page Queensland infrastructure plan for the next 20 years.

Barely two years ago, Premier Anna Bligh said modelling showed a second rail bridge was "desperately needed" by 2016.

The document, released on Tuesday, made no reference to a possible construction timetable beyond the phrase "medium to longer term". It also classified the ambitious scheme as still being in the "pre-project" phase.

THE level crossing where a truck and train crashed in 2007, killing 11 people, had five near misses the previous year, an inquest has heard.

Former police inspector Garry Bennett told an inquest into the rail disaster that train operator V/Line advised him train drivers had five near misses with vehicles at the crossing north of Kerang before the fatal crash.

Mr Bennett said the advice, given in July 2006, prompted him to arrange an article in the local newspaper and a broadcast on the local ABC radio station warning people about rail crossing dangers, particularly at the one near Kerang.

The state government's 20-year public transport plan will cost more than $4 billion to implement, Transport Minister Troy Buswell said.

The much anticipated blueprint released today outlines a light-rail network between Mirrabooka and the city, trains to Yanchep and a bus-rapid transit system in Ellenbrook are the state government's key public transport priorities for the next 20 years.

There were 103 sightings for this week. This is 14 sighting less than last week, making a total of 2933 sightings for this year to date. On day 197 last year we had recorded 2707 sightings. This is 226 sightings up on the same time last year.

SINGAPORE - Hordes of people - including three presidential hopefuls and National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan - turned up yesterday to bid a nostalgic goodbye to the KTM railway tracks, which will be closed from today for works.

A three-kilometre stretch of the tracks - from Rifle Range Road to the Rail Mall - will remain open till the end of the month.

Many were with their family and dogs - after Mr Khaw had invited people to bring their pets and join him for the walk - to take one last jaunt along the 26-km green stretch. For some, it had been a regular haunt. Others showed up out of curiosity.

Those who spoke to Today reiterated their hope that the stretch would be conserved.

After a fortnight off the rails, Victoria’s regional train service is once again up and running.
V/Line services commenced this morning following a two-week closure for work to start on the $4.3 billion Regional Rail Link project.

There were reassurances early on that the final product would be a great benefit to regional train passengers.

Rob Oakeshott, the Member for Lyne, on the New South Wales mid-north coast, is calling for the emotion to be taken out of the carbon debate, amid claims by the Nationals that heavy vehicles will not be excluded from the carbon pricing scheme.

The Nationals say Mr Oakeshott is lying about the exclusion because Labor has flagged its intention to remove the heavy vehicle fuel rebate in 2014.

YOU can call him eccentric. Perhaps you can even call him a trainspotter. But you can't call Lachlan Campbell a quitter.
In January, a delay on the Epping line foiled the 19-year-old's first attempt to achieve his dream: to stop at every railway station in Melbourne on one day.

Like Everest, this mountain had been conquered before Mr Campbell got to it.

THE transport smartcard system to be phased in on trains could slash fare evasion and potentially save NSW millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Passengers who use smartcards to travel on the train network will have to swipe on and swipe off, at which point the fare is deducted from stored value on the card. But those who do not swipe off at the station where they disembark will have a higher, default amount deducted from their card after a set time has elapsed. Smartcards will be introduced by 2014.

Emergency workers are battling to rescue survivors from the mangled wreckage of two Chinese bullet trains involved in a high-speed collision which left 33 dead and nearly 200 injured, reports say.

The first train had been halted by a lightning strike and was rear-ended by the second, state media said, causing two carriages to fall off a viaduct in a disaster likely to raise fresh questions over the safety of China's rapid rail expansion.

There were 95 sightings for this week. This is eight sighting less than last week, making a total of 3028 sightings for this year to date. On day 204 last year we had recorded 2817 sightings. This is 211 sightings up on the same time last year.

Downer EDI has been awarded a public transport rail maintenance services contract in Western Australia.

"The value of the contract is more than $285 million for the seven-and-a-half-year contract term and Downer's share of this contract exceeds $140 million," the engineering company said in a statement on Monday.

The contract is for work for WA's Public Transport Authority through Downer's joint venture with Bombardier Transportation Australia.

The huge “accident” of two high-speed rail trains crashed near Wenzhou is not an accident at all (via China Geeks) because given the poor operating records, it is hardly inconceivable that something serious might happen some day.

STATES will lose $1.5 billion worth of rail infrastructure savings within five years of losing control of 1800MHz spectrum licences if they're auctioned to carriers, the federal government has been told.

Melbourne and Sydney's passenger rail networks could also lose $400,000 an hour in potential benefits from more frequent urban train services, according to the report that Deloitte Access Economics prepared for the Australasian Railway Association.

The report also identified a huge lost opportunity to derive social benefits from reduced congestion and pollution if the licences are re-farmed.

Yarra Trams is putting the safety of its drivers at risk, by forcing them to walk into moving traffic on a busy Kew road when they need to change the direction their tram is running, the state's workplace safety investigator says.

WorkSafe has told KDR, the French company that operates Yarra Trams, that it must make it safer for drivers based at the Kew tram depot, at the corner of Barkers Road and High Street.

Reports are coming into the Railpage News Desk which suggest a Vline passenger train travelling to Melbourne on Monday morning narrowly avoided a collision with a maintenance vehicle engaged in track maintenance.

Downer EDI Limited has announced that it had been awarded a contract, through a 50:50 joint venture with Bombardier Transportation Australia, with Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority (PTA) for the supply of passenger rail cars.

The value of the contract is more than $160 million, of which Downer’s share is in excess of $80 million.

A JAPANESE railway company was today ordered to compensate train drivers and staff for forcing them to clean toilets and cut weeds as punishment for train delays and other lapses.

Japanese trains are world-renowned for their punctuality - but strict and punitive management measures have also been cited as a factor behind Japan's worst train crash in decades, which claimed 107 lives in 2005 when a train belonging to the same firm derailed.

The Osaka District Court ordered West Japan Railway, or JR West, to pay a total of Y6.2 million ($72,685) to 61 train drivers and other staff for its controversial practice of "nikkin kyoiku" or "dayshift education".

AECOM Technology, a company that offers professional, technical and administrative support services for the commercial and government clients all over the globe, declared that a consortium lead by it has been contracted by the Government of New South Wales to provide the needed design for the North West Rail Link in Sydney, Australia.

PLANNING for the Baillieu government's rail link to Avalon will continue despite reports troubled cut-price airline Tiger is to pull out of the airport.

Premier Ted Baillieu said the reports had no long-term implications for the rail link, saying it was ''hypothetical'' that Tiger was moving from the airport, located outside Geelong, and that no other airline would replace it.